The adult son of a missing couple from Albany, New York, confessed, live on TV, to killing his parents after the victims' bodies were discovered in the backyard of their home.
The human remains that were found following a fraud investigation have not yet been identified through forensic examinations. Authorities executed search warrants at the missing couple's home on Tuesday.
Missing Couple's Son Confesses to Parents' Murder
The next day, they discovered human remains on the property and held a press conference on Thursday to share limited information available. That was all before the man's shocking confession.
Albany Police Chief Brandon Cox said that investigators from the Social Security Administration reached out to them on May 21 to ask for assistance. The Albany Police Department (APD) sent officers to 6 Crestwood Court to conduct a welfare check on the victims, Theresia and Franz Kraus, who were 83 and 92, respectively, according to News10.
Cox said that the missing couple who lived at the address they were referred to were both receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration. When their officers responded to the address, they met up with the investigator in charge of the case. The police chief added it was "apparent that Mr. and Mrs. Kraus were no longer at that house."
The development led officials to open a multi-agency social security fraud investigation, led by the APD, the Albany County District Attorney's Office, the Social Security Administration, the New York State Police, and many other federal agencies.
Under Investigation for Financial Crimes
The suspect in the case, 53-year-old Lorenz Kraus, was the one being investigated for financial crimes. While the man was being questioned, he reluctantly admitted his guilt in the killing of his parents, the Times Union reported.
Cox said that while there is still a lack of official identification of the bodies found at the missing couple's home, they are confident that they belong to Theresia and Franz. He added that investigators are still working on determining the cause and manner of death.
The incident comes as neighbors of the missing couple said that the elderly victims had suddenly disappeared several years ago. One neighbor noted that the son, the suspect in the case, said that his parents went to Germany, which she did not believe.
Another neighbor noted that she parked in the driveway of the missing couple's home to make sure that the home looked like someone was living in it to deter anyone from trying to break in and steal property, as per WNYT.
